PREFERENCIA POR CEBO DE LOS ESCARABAJOS COPROFAGOS (COLEOPTERA: SCARABAEIDAE: SCARABAEINAE) DE UN REMANENTE DE BOSQUE SECO TROPICAL AL NORTE DEL TOLIMA (COLOMBIA) (original) (raw)

Abstract

Feeding and nesting tactics may limit the effects of species overlapping on one particular resource in a diverse community (Halffter & Edmonds, 1982). Diversity of feeding habits characterizes the dung beetle groups of the Neotropics, and undoubtedly contributes to to the high species richness of this region (Gill, 1991). Feeding habits determine some ecological aspects (Halffter, 1959) of scarabaeids, like behavior, distribution, morphology and development (Halffter & Matthews, 1966). This paper studies scarabaeine bait preferences in a dry forest patch and its surrounding matrix. 22 species were captured, with 6 new records for the area. The bait with the highest preference rating was omnivore dung, followed by carrion, fungi, cow dung and rotting fruit. The species with the highest abundance was Dichotomius ca. centralis, with 758 individuals and a copro-necrophagous diet. Its dominance was not restricted to the forested area, and significant numbers were found at the pasture matrix. Strict diet species like Deltochilum valgum agropyge were also collected. The dung beetle community observed was mostly generalist (71%), possibly due to the scarcity of excrement, which forces individuals to use other sources of food with a similar nutritional value.

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